New Vacuworx Concrete Lifting Systems Aid Safer, Greener Environment As Contractors Seek LEED Incentives
Concrete Barrier Lifter and Octapad Concrete Slab Lifter Introduced Last Month Attract LEED Interest With Contractors
TULSA, OK — The cornerstone of the Vacuworx design philosophy has always been to build a faster, safer, smarter commercial lifting system and with the introduction of two new products the company has an increasing role in more green construction projects.
Vacuworx introduced two new lifting systems last month – Octapad System for lifting concrete road slabs and the Hydraulic Barrier Lifter to place concrete barriers during road construction projects.
The Octapad System was designed with direct input from highway contractors to lift concrete slabs from deteriorated roadways and bridge decks. The Hydraulic Barrier Lifter with 360 rotational capabilities provides for a much safer and efficient way to perform one of the most dangerous jobs in highway construction, which is placement and removal of barriers on roads in traffic use.
"There's no question these systems for concrete slab, pipe and barrier handling are much safer and efficient than traditional methods of chains, hooks, grapplers and jackhammers," said Vacuworx President Bill Solomon. "It's a triple play win; safer for the workers by taking them out of harms way; ten times faster for the contractor; better for the environment because you don't have the noise, or dust; and you can re-purpose the concrete slabs and barriers."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that America generates over 135 million tons of construction and demolition debris annually and approximately 70% is demolition debris.
Solomon said there's a growing segment in the construction industry dedicated to green construction, and demolition contractors are reporting that Vacuworx is contributing to the cause by aiding green concrete recycling. He said concrete slabs removed from highways, bridges, parking lots, airport runways, etc., can be repurposed for landscape, erosion control, or removed to a central location to be processed for re-use in aggregate or road fill.
Selling reusable concrete materials not only improves the contractor's bottom line. It can help construction projects earn one or two points toward Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) points. A recycling rate of 50% earns one LEED point, while building projects that achieve a recycling rate of 75% or better can earn 2 points. Additional points may be earned by reusing salvaged materials on site in new construction. There are multiple incentives from federal, state, and local entities, and school districts have adopted various types of LEED incentives based on this point system.
Tulsa-based Vacuworx has been a leading provider of vacuum-based lifting equipment and heavy-duty material handling solutions for more than 15 years with sales and rental options for the pipeline, oil, gas, utility and road construction industries. Vacuworx Lifting Systems are customizable for various applications and lift capacities, offering contractors and municipalities a faster, safer and smarter method of handling pipe, plate, slab, concrete road barriers and HDD drill stem. With a growing base of distribution points in the US, Canada, Latin America, Australia, Europe and Africa, Vacuworx offers on-site maintenance and repairs, and stocks a full line of parts available for shipping 365 days a year.
